Games that resist the player through deliberate design I can respect even when I don't enjoy them. Controlling Ico, Wander, and Agro felt true to the experiences their games aimed to convey. Precision was never the point. In The Last Guardian, climactic moments can so easily fall apart because of the finicky controls and the sluggish camera. Ueda and co. never relied on neatly choreographed interactive slow-motion set pieces before. Reaching a fail state in ICO and Shadow of the Colossus wasn't burdened by jarring checkpointing right in the middle of big events. When you miss a leap of faith in The Last Guardian because you jumped from the wrong angle or mistimed your button press, plunge to your death as the platform is triggered to collapse for the game to move forward, and then restart in the middle of the scripted sequence, all tension is lost. The facade crumbles, revealing the gameyness of it all.
The artistry in presenting the formation of the bond between the boy and the beast is undeniable. I just couldn't keep myself from disengaging whenever there was an obviously "emotional" scene playing out. I had a sharper reaction to the tragedy that befell Agro a decade ago than to any of the numerous blows Trico suffered in my 13-hour-long playthrough. I know I am in the minority on this, and I envy all of you who cried over the course of caring for this catdogbird. I've come to expect to shed tears when playing games focused on drama. 2016 was a disappointment in that aspect.
But yes, Trico is indeed a magnificent catdogbird. His displays of preternatural power, keen animal instinct, and lithe locomotion inspired the awe that I had to remember was the propellant to my exaltation of Team ICO's works. Bounding across ancient architecture atop her head is this incomparable thrill of helplessness. Trico knows exactly what needs to be done, and you're just this vulnerable, bumbling, flailing mess of limbs and strained pleas. It's this role reversal of the player as the one being escorted in this mission that resonates with me the most and why I had an easier time pumping my fists at the Last Guardian's glorious feats of rescue than letting my heart give in to the violent melodrama.
The artistry in presenting the formation of the bond between the boy and the beast is undeniable. I just couldn't keep myself from disengaging whenever there was an obviously "emotional" scene playing out. I had a sharper reaction to the tragedy that befell Agro a decade ago than to any of the numerous blows Trico suffered in my 13-hour-long playthrough. I know I am in the minority on this, and I envy all of you who cried over the course of caring for this catdogbird. I've come to expect to shed tears when playing games focused on drama. 2016 was a disappointment in that aspect.
But yes, Trico is indeed a magnificent catdogbird. His displays of preternatural power, keen animal instinct, and lithe locomotion inspired the awe that I had to remember was the propellant to my exaltation of Team ICO's works. Bounding across ancient architecture atop her head is this incomparable thrill of helplessness. Trico knows exactly what needs to be done, and you're just this vulnerable, bumbling, flailing mess of limbs and strained pleas. It's this role reversal of the player as the one being escorted in this mission that resonates with me the most and why I had an easier time pumping my fists at the Last Guardian's glorious feats of rescue than letting my heart give in to the violent melodrama.